Don’t want to be a hypocrite? —Avoid pettiness…

(CUSA) We need to have the courage to acknowledge our own faults in order to become merciful towards others.

The Lord speaks to us about the reward contained within this: do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned.

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HOMILY OF POPE FRANCISFRIDAY, SEPT. 11, 2015

Brothers and Sisters,

But we can say: ‘So, this is all fine, isn’t it?’ And each of us can say: ‘Yes Father, this is all fine but how can it actually be done, where does one start with this?’ And what’s the first step for going along this path?’

We see that first step in today’s first Reading, in the Gospel. The first step is to acknowledge our own faults. The courage to acknowledge this before accusing others.

And Paul praises the Lord because he chose him and gives thanks because ‘he has judged me trustworthy, even though I used to be a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man.’ But this was mercy.

It is essential to acknowledge our own faults before we can see clearly enough ‘to take the splinter out of our brother’s eye.’

And Jesus uses that word that he only uses with those who are two-faced, with two minds: Hypocrites! Hypocrite. Men and women who can’t learn how to acknowledge their own faults become hypocrites.

All of them? All of them: starting from the Pope downwards: all of them. If a person isn’t able to acknowledge his or her faults and then says, if it’s necessary, who we should be telling things about other people, that person is not a Christian, is not part of this very beautiful work of reconciliation, peace-making, tenderness, goodness, forgiveness, generosity and mercy that Jesus Christ brought to us.

When we get tempted to talk to people about the faults of others, we must stop ourselves. And me? And have the courage that Paul had, here: ‘I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, a violent man’… But how many things can we say about ourselves?

Let’s refrain from comments about others and let’s comment about ourselves. And this is the first step along this path of magnanimity. Because a person who can only see the splinters in the eyes of others, falls into pettiness: a petty mind, full of pettiness, full of chatter.

Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to follow Jesus’ advice to be generous with forgiveness and generous with mercy, adding that a person who has never spoken badly about others, should be canonized immediately.